Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi

I was so so impressed by this book! We talked about it today in my Children's Lit class and it's kind of a relief because I've been wanting to talk about it with somebody. I have to admit, I feel rather naive about the subject of this book. I had never known that the Japanese had invaded Korea, much less rendered the nation in rather defenseless servitude to theirs. Taking that into consideration, I was able to connect to Sook's (or Nuna's, as I like to call her) story very closely.

In class, we were asked to write about something that was powerful to us in the book. I have very vivid images of Nuna's grandfather. I loved this character - his incredible strength and comparable fragility. I can picture quite clearly Nuna's mother taking down branches from grandfather's beloved pine tree and putting them in a wooden bowl next to his bed. She brought what he loved to him when he was unable to go outside.

Three days later, the grandfather dies. To me, the tree was totally symbolic of the grandfather himself. One represented the other so that, when one's existence was ended, so too was the other's. It is as if the tree had become a part of his identity, his entire being. Like when elderly couples who have been together for sixty years lose their spouse, many times they die within days - from heartbreak and from the vital connection that has been broken inside them.

After the grandfather dies, Nuna goes back into his room and touches his quill pins. She later wishes she can take them with her as she is fleeing her ravaged nation.

All of these images of the grandfather instantly pull at my heartstrings. I think of my own grandpa, a tiny, leathery man with a shock of white hair, a mischievous glint in his eye, and always a smile on my face. He always called me Emmy, a name that few have ever called me by. Even today when people say that, my heart stops for a moment. After he died, I remember going into his favorite room and just running my hands over his worn blue rocking chair. I sat down in the wooden rocking chair beside it and just stared at it for a while, willing my precious grandpa to be back with me. After a while I got up and sat down quietly in his chair, rocking back and forth, picturing him there. Nuna's relationship with her grandfather brought me back to this place.

What a great book - it piqued me on a personal level and conveyed amazing historical information that I had previously been in the dark about. Definitely a good read and definitely something I will put into my classroom. The quietness of the pages really drew me in.

Children's Lit Thoughts and Reflections

I have to say that all of my friends make fun of me about blogging. My roommate won't shut up about it. Maybe it's the stereotype that only really emotional kids with a lot of anger and resentment toward the world blog. (And maybe, disregarding our class, that's true. I don't really know. I'm not that into it.) So whenever I say I have to go blog, my roommate always says, "Oh how modern of you." I think it's pretty funny.

I am fully confident, though, that I enjoy blogging about three thousand times more than I would like writing a paper. I feel like I have way more creative freedom in this medium - I feel more open to tell my real feelings about the book, even if they are pretty bad. (Check out the Lemonade Club review for further details.) And I feel less pressured in writing in perfect English and perfect grammar. Which gets me thinking about using blogging in my classroom someday. Yeah...maybe I'll do that.

I'm glad that this class is actually making me get into a library to read books that might appear in my classroom. I have always loved reading, but obviously I haven't read kids books since I was a little kid. It's good for me to have an idea of what books to put in my classroom library, what books are appropriate for certain subjects and themes. I'm glad I have an excuse to go out there and get my hands on some children's literature. (Not that I really needed one before - I would hope that teaching is a good enough excuse.)

I think one thing I need to work on, though, is looking at different genres and types of books. I am kind of stuck in a rut of similar books. I need to be a little more adventurous in my choices. Another thing I struggle with at times is which books to pick up. I could just do the totally random guess - but then I worry that I'm missing out on a different really good book. I might try looking at some book lists online or something - not sure yet.

Well, it's 6:39, time to go to class. (That's one unfortunate thing about this class - it's kinda late and it makes me miss my fav. show, 30 Minute Meals. But I TiVo it so it's all good.)

She Come Bringing Me That Little Baby Girl by Eloise Greenfield

Last controversial book for this series of blogs and I have to say that I am not unhappy about that. They're making me think a lot harder about different perspectives - how people read into the words on the page and how they might find offense in them.

It was pretty easy for me to figure out how people might take offense to this book. The boy in this book really wanted a baby brother that he could throw the football with. When his family brings home a new baby girl, he is highly upset. In fact, to me, the book takes this emotion too far. The new brother talks about how ugly the baby is, how he hates her. He avoids her and despises the way she is adored by the rest of his family. To me, the extent of his dislike is just a bit too far. It takes one step over the line. It is natural for kids to feel upset about a new baby. I just did not like how upset this boy became.

The book did redeem itself, though, when the boy finally holds his new sister. He realizes that he cares about the new baby and that, even though she is a girl, she might be fun to have around. He might even be able to throw the football to her.

I don't know about this one. I can't tell if it is controversial to me or if I just did not like it... I guess either way, it won't be one I run out to buy.

Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole

This is another book that probably will not be featured on my school bookshelf. Kids are definitely curious about where babies come from, which is a tough topic for adults to handle. I appreciate the humor in this book. It definitely would work to cut through the awkwardness. (And I'll admit I was laughing at the different ways these parents tried to tell their children about conception. My two favorites were "Sometimes dinosaurs deliver [the babies]" and that babies are found under rocks. It cracked me up.) If the book had stopped there, I would have loved it.

Of course, had it stopped there, it would have failed to address the issue at hand. The true parts of the book are also the parts I did not really like. Maybe I am still too immature to handle this topic, but I found myself cringing at the explanations. They became WAY too graphic in my opinion. The sentence "This fits in here" with an arrow pointing to...well, you can figure it out... really got me upset. I'm sorry, but that's just weird.

Of course, it continued to get weirder. I was taken aback by a page full of the parents in different sexual positions. No discussion about where babies come from with elementary school students needs to go that far. That is going way beyond the realm of that innocent question.

This book in two words: too far. Or: no thank you. (Whoops, that was three.)

The Un-Wedding by Babette Cole

I have to say I am somewhat sitting on the fence about this one. Maybe this blog will help me figure out my true feelings for The Un-Wedding by Babette Cole.

My first read of this book left me feeling somewhat disturbed. I found it insensitive. As a child of divorced parents, I can say firsthand that divorce is usually not something to be celebrated. In my family, there were no cakes and definitely no parties involved in the entire process. Instead there were arguments and tears and awkward moments with new families and cold distances and families spread across the country. This seemed like an inappropriate way to depict divorce to children.

However, I also understand the necessity of showing kids that divorce is usually for the better for the families that endure it. There are obviously reasons for the separation. Hopefully it is bringing about a better situation for the family and, ultimately, good things can come from it. I have developed a good relationship with my step-mom and have gained three step-siblings. And it shows kids that the nuclear family is not the only kind of family.

I guess I just coming back to the word "still." Even though it does all of these good things...is that enough? I think I am starting to hop over the fence toward not being okay with this book. I cannot get past the portrayal of divorce as a happy, celebratory time. It is unrealistic and insensitive to the parties involved. This one won't be appearing on my shelf.

Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman

I was surprised to see Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman in our class reserved section of controversial and banned books. A text book in one of my other classes had mentioned this title before, talking about what a great book it was for kids. (I cannot remember the exact parameters of this description, but I recognized the title right away from hearing about it in my other class's text.)

The story is one that seems somewhat common. A young girl wants to be the lead in her school play - Peter Pan. However, she is quickly told that she cannot be Peter Pan because she is a girl. Seems ordinary enough. However, another kid chimes in, saying Grace cannot be Peter Pan because she is black. Here's where the controversy comes in. But is this really a controversy? I have a feeling it is something that comes up quite often, especially in classrooms full of young children who tend to be very literal. With kids, often what you see is what you get. The Disney portrayal of Peter Pan is a white cartoon character. To them, this makes the whiteness binding. If the book ended here, I could begin to understand why it was controversial.

But it doesn't. In fact, the book goes on to talk about Grace's portrayal as Peter Pan in the play. She perseveres past the doubt. She knows she has the right to be Peter Pan as much as anyone else, and she reaches her goal. I could see this book being read in elementary classroom as an example of the power of believing in yourself. Despite what other people may say, you can overcome great obstacles if you believe. That is the message I get from the book. Sounds like a good one to me.

Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting

When I heard the title of this book, I thought it was going to be the story about the movie with the little girl and her father who teach geese how to fly south for the winter. I'm pretty glad it's not that, because I'm pretty sure that movie made me cry. But I was really surprised about what the story was actually about. It is told from the perspective of a young boy who is homeless. He has been living in the airport with his father for a while while they save up money for a place to live. The family knows other families in the same situation, traveling around different airline concourses in an attempt to remain unnoticed.

Again, I was confused about what is controversial about this story. I assume it is the homelessness. Is this a subject warranting silence from the school institution? There are undoubtedly students within the American school system who are homeless. Shouldn't this issue be addressed, then? I guess I just do not see how silence is helping the situation. I would hope schools could be open about issues their students are facing.

One thing that did bother me, though, about this book was the idea of invisibility. The boy and his father wanted nothing more than to be completely invisible within the airport. No one could know their names or that they were there. They had to be completely invisible in order to survive. This really made me uneasy. No one should have to go through life pretending they do not exist.

I have to admit, I am on the fence about this one - not about whether it should be allowed or not. I do not see a problem with it being in a school library. I just do not like it because of the invisibility factor. It upsets me to think that people live like that. Homelessness, though, is something that should be openly discussed in the school setting because it is an issue that resonates with a lot of kids.

The Misfits by James Howe

If I went to Paintbrush Falls Middle School, I'm pretty sure I would be a misfit, because these are the kids I would want to hang out with. Bobby was absolutely my favorite. His thoughts and though processes were so honest and genuine. He was who he was and, although this made him vulnerable, he did not deny himself. He was so strong and such a strong character - it was fun to get into his head to see what was really going on in there.

James Howe's use of sarcasm throughout the book was really fun, too. I was laughing out loud about some of the things that came out of the characters' mouths.

There was a lot of talk about the gay stereotypes used for Joe's character. My teacher said something that I could not get past. As a gay seventh grade student, there are not really a lot of choices as to how to act. Joe is really caught in a tough position. He realizes that being gay is not something that is openly accepted - in his town, in his school, and by his peers. He is lucky and has friends and family that are willing to support him no matter what. He shows them his identity and knows that, ultimately, they will still be there. Sure, he talks about RuPaul and Madonna. He could be a little bit deeper. But I think for a gay seventh grade boy, this is pretty believable.

I am still struggling to figure out how this is a controversial book. It does include homosexuality. However, homosexuals are not aliens. They are humans beings. Sure, they may lead a lifestyle you might not choose to endorse. This is not an excuse to pretend they do not exist. This book has such a good message about being truthful to yourself. It would be a shame to withhold it from the classroom because of a homosexual character. Honestly, it is hard for me to believe that things like this are still an issue in America in the 21st century.